WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ash Wednesday is this Wednesday, March 6, 2011. Masses will be at 12:10 and 7:00 p.m. This is a day of fasting and abstinence.

Special Collection: There will be a special collection taken up for the World and HomeMissions. Please be as generous as you can.

Five Minutes with the Word: With Ash Wednesday this week, I want to encourage you to take a few minutes day, perhaps just five minutes, and use Five Minutes with the Word to grow closer to the Lord during Lent. During these forty days, there is a lot of grace with which the Lord wants to bless us, and a few minutes each day in prayer will make Holy Week and Easter much more meaningful for you and your family. The copies of these booklets are at each entrance of the Church. One per family, please.

KofC Scholarships: Attention all High School Seniors registered at St. Mary’s Parish – Applications for Knight of Columbus Council 1358 and JJ Kearns Assembly #1109 Scholarships are now available in the church office. Please turn your application in to the church office prior to due dates.

40 Days for Life: You are invited to join other Christians from throughout the city of Waco to take part in the International 40 Days for Life effort from March 9th through April 17th. In addition to 40 days of peaceful prayer and fasting for an end to abortion, please consider volunteering to pray outside of the Planned Parenthood operation at 1927 Columbus Avenue for one or more hours during the 40 days, and help to spread the word to others about this important life-saving effort.

There are cards in the bulletins today asking for your pledge to lift this effort up in prayer, and asking all local, state, and national leaders to act to protect human life which is made in God’s image and likeness. Please take a moment to fill out one of these cards, and then leave it in the pew where it will be collected.

Venture Crew # 444 will be selling Batteries from size AAA to D in the foyer of the church before and after Mass each weekend in March as a fund raiser for their summer trip to Buffalo Trails Scout Ranch in West Texas. Please support our scouting crew.

Our Parish Festival will be on April 17, at Geneva Hall. We will be selling the raffle tickets at various Catholic churches in the Waco area and we are needing helpers to sell the tickets before and after the Masses. If you are able to help, please call Loretta Thomas at 857-4648.

Ashes to Easter Boxes are at each entrance to the Church. Each family is invited to put in some coins each day during Lent and pray for the Missions. Money collected will help missionaries from our diocese working in other countries and our Diocesan Medical Mission.

EIM Refresher Workshop will be held on Sunday, March 27, 2011 from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Please call the church office to register for the workshop.